Global Stripes: Hollywood Clinches Deora’s ‘Tiger’!

He’s gearing up to earn a different set of stripes altogether. Though it’s all centered around a tiger, Mukul Deora, however, isn’t the latest addition to the ‘Save The Tiger’ bandwagon. Rather, the canny producer will be trailing the tiger cinematically. And metaphorically.

In a twist that is likely to gladden the hearts of cinema-enthusiasts, Mukul Deora has in his silent, unobtrusive manner gone ahead and landed one of the most prestigious international projects: The White Tiger. Mukul is crafting a motion picture based on the Booker Prize winning novel (2008) by Aravind Adiga.

Slumdog Millionaire, Black Swan and The King’s Speech, all happen to be universal stories that have translated into multiple Academy Award grossers fetching global revenues of more than $300 million each! Mukul is sanguine that The White Tiger too has the innate potential to follow in their tracks.

Moreover, Mukul has joined forces with topline Hollywood aces as co producers: John Hart who served up the Academy Award – nominated Revolutionary Road (starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) and Patrick Milling Smith of the New York-based Smuggler Films.

Explaining his rationale for handpicking Adiga’s novel, Mukul says, “My motivation is to make films for India and the world. When entering global cinema, you need a story that connects with everyone. Something that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries with its emotional content.”

Adds he significantly, “I believe that The White Tiger is such a universal story- a scathing satire on the journey of a poor man through the corrupt system set in contemporary India. It’s extremely relevant to what is happening here today, and I’m happy to be getting an opportunity to tell this story!”

The White Tiger, via its comical yet satirical account details modern day life in India through the eyes of its protagonist Balram Halwai. As the brightest child in his Bihar village, Balram earns the nickname of ‘white tiger’ by the education minister of Laxmangarh, as akin to the ‘white tiger’ he’s a rare species that is said to come only once per generation!

Apart from the Adiga treat, Mukul also has a howlarious set of plans in place…since he also reading up to unleash the sequel to his giggly grosser Bheja Fry, all set to illumine cinema screens, come June 17, 2011. States Mukul Deora milingly, ” Bheja Fry 2 is a comic adventure that takes the core strengths of the original and blows it up to a bigger, better sequel!” Get set to guffaw.